An Obsession with All Things Handmade and Home-Cooked

New Toys

My impressive plunder from holiday gift-giving leaves me predictably overwhelmed. Inundated by all the shiny toys I’ve had my eye on for the past twelve months, I’m beyond feeling like a kid in a candy store- More like a mad baker in a pastry department! After spending the first week or so drowning in guilt over my embarrassment of riches, the shame instantly dissipated after boxes were opened and kitchen appliances exhumed from their bubble-wrapped tombs. So many ideas bubbled around in my scattered brain, the real trouble was figuring out where to start.

And really, that wasn’t too hard after all. Seriously, when the accessories look more like ammunition than culinary tools, who wouldn’t be intrigued?

The lure of my professional-looking iSi cream whipper proved to out shine the rest, which pushed it to the foreground of my brainstorming. How to use this tool designed to work almost exclusively with dairy, and develop vegan recipes, was an exciting challenge. While I can’t claim the greatest of success so far, there has been one simple yet encouraging triumph: Mousse.

Made from only two ingredients, this would be perfect for an emergency dessert if guests happen to drop by unannounced, expecting sweets [as they often do around here.] So light, fluffy, and down right fun, I can definitely see this becoming a go-to recipe for instant mousse gratification. Yes, it does require this fancy shmancy equipment, but hey, aren’t I allowed to play with my new toys a little?

Instant Mousse

1 25.5-Ounce Can Coconut Milk, Chilled
1 3-Ounce Package Kojel (I used lemon, but any flavor works just fine)

First off, do NOT shake the can of coconut milk. Remove the top and use a large spoon to skim off the cream on top. Measure out two cups from the upper layer of coconut cream- You will have some extra, but you can use that in another recipe. Whisk the kojel into the coconut cream so that the mixture is homogeneous, and transfer it into your cream whipper. Use one charge, shake a few times, and dispense the entire contents into a number of small dishes. Do not reserve any of the mousse inside the whipper, because it will set up and not come out.

38 thoughts on “New Toys”

The ideal toy for a vegan chef;)
My husband gave me a ISI whip cream for my last birthday and I must say it’s great for making whipped vegan:)
That’s what helped me make my vegan crème brulée for the challenge of DB (the bûche).
I also want to make chocolate mousse hot but because my ISI can also be used in a bain-marie :)

hahaha, when I first previewed this in my rss feed, read “new toys” and saw the first photo, I was almost sure you had bought ammunition of some sort.
your mousse looks fantastic, Hannah! I love your trick of not shaking the can and separating the cream – I’ll definitely be using that one in the future :)

I like the idea of using a cream whipper for vegan desserts! I may just have to get one. I also like the idea of using coconut instead, as I have been quite addicted to SoyaToo whip lately. I think it’s the best on the market right now.

neat! it looks so light and fluffy. like a delicious little cloud. if only i had the tools! alas, maybe someday ;) also, re: you being awesome at knitting, do you care to let me know where you get all your adorable patterns? i’m in the mind to make creatures of some sort for my kitties (and who am i kidding, myself). if you could email me some resources, i’d be really grateful! i don’t know anyone in real life that knits, so i’m sort of on my own here. thanks!

That moose looks too good! I would have never thought of lemon geletin-free jello and coconut milk! How does that icecream maker work? Do you have any vegan icecream recipes that don’t require a special tool? Of course, I could live on so dlicious! =)

I’m a bit confused, though. Why would you open a can of coconut milk if you’re only going to use the cream? I’ve read the recipe again and again and I can’t see that you’re actually using the milk. Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to use a can of coconut cream to start with, or coconut cream powder?

This is one kitchen tool that has been on my wish list for 20 years. With economy as it is and both my husband and I out of work it is unlikely that it will ever enter my kitchen, but it will stay on my list forever. Miracle have been known to happen. Enjoy!